This week's trivia....History baby!!

[Ron Mann]

In PHA's first ledger book...the formation of the organization started in 1959 and 5 clubs were among the first to pay their $50 membership fee to PHA....yes, yes, I know it states on the our site that PHA was founded in 1963...well, that is actually the year the organization was incorporated. According to the notes inside the book, there were even PHA officers in place in 1959!!

The question is.....who were the first 5 original clubs that formed PHA in 1959?

[Rich Sweigart]

Eastern Penna. Sports Car Club
Williamsport Sports Touring Club
NEPA SCCA
Warhampton Sports Car Club
Appalachian Sports Car Clus

[Ron Mann]

ahhhhh...so close Mr. Rich...all but one is correct. The one you are missing is actually the first $50 membership fee entered in the book!! So now...which one is wrong and who should it be?

[Rich Sweigart]

Appalachian is the wrong one, might Pocono Mountains Sports Car Assocation be the one. I remember that to be a full member club, they had to put on an event.

[Ron Mann]

Well, my friend...you are half right! Pocono Mountain Sports Car Club is correct....!! But...you dumped the wrong one.

According to this ledger the first 5 clubs to form the PHA in 1959 were:
Pocono Mountain Sports Car Club
Appalachian Sports Car Club
Eastern PA Sports Car Club
North East Region of SCCA
&
Sports Touring Club Of Williamsport

I'll have to peek and see who the next batch was...I bet Warhampton Sports Car Club is in the next batch.

[Rich Sweigart]

OK, Ron. Since you needed to put on a hillclimb my guess is that the 59 season was the following events.

Pocono
Hershey
Duryea
Giant's
Hyner View

Rich

[Ron Mann]

Not sure if that criteria(that you had to host a hill to enter) was established at the point the formation started...that may have started with the incorporation rules: full member clubs and associate member clubs??

1959 season:
Spring Hershey
Spring Springtown
Fox Gap/Cherry Valley
Duryea
Giant's
Town Hill
F Springtown
Hyner View
Big Pocono
Fall Hershey

[Mel Horn]

OK, gang...

I have in my possession a Pennsylvania Atlas and Gazeteer by DeLorme Publishing.

I have located all the ones I can find (including a few proposed locations) and marked their map coordinates on an Excel spreadsheet. (Suggestion:If you are thinking of buying an atlas buy one like this so if someone is wondering where Tuscarora was they would look on Map 90 at grid A 1)

I will make this available to any and all.

My questions are:
Was Hobbie NW of Hazleton just north of I-80? Reason I ask is someone posted a map a couple years ago and I found what I THINK is the location although I would like to verify it somehow.

Was Hobbie and Green Mountain the same site/event? If not, where was Green Mountain?

Anybody in Central PA Region SCCA know where Tussey Mt, Town(e) Hill and/or Breezewood were?
(BTW, Town Hill can be anywhere along a 30-mile long ridge or so I'm told by a native)

Cherry Valley: North of Bangor, south of Stroudsburg?

Big and Little Pocono?

[Ron Mann]

Hobbie and Green Mountain are the same event....event was on Hobbie Mountain but run by the Green Mountain Sports Car Club. And Yes...from what I gather, it was NW of Hazelton...exact road, I don't know.

Town Hill was a Central PA SCCA event...and I've tried, twice, to reach their historian...but have not gotten any replies!

Cherry Valley was also know as Fox Gap...if that helps.

I'm getting a location on Pocono from John Bolton....What I don't know is...the difference between Big & Little?!?!

You scoping out our road trip??

Starting to figure out what programs the archives needs as well...I'll be putting a list together!